Sports

Stories of Olympic Proportion

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Cropped transparent version of Image:Olympic f...

Cropped transparent version of Image:Olympic flag.svg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As we move into the home stretch at the Olympics I have to make an admission. I’m addicted to the stories that come of the games more than I am the games themselves. I love the stories of the underdogs beating the odds. I love the pictures and video of people whose sacrifice and effort is written across their face as the medal is put around their neck. I love to hear about the families who put everything on the line for the chance of fulfilling a dream.

You can site there and tell me you don’t care about that part, but I’m will to bet you watch them too. It’s not hard to get a bit wrapped in stories like Kayla Harrison, Oscar Pistorius, and Gabby Douglas. They are the stories of overcoming the odds, making sacrifices that most of us cannot and finding support from people who sometimes believe in the athletes before the athletes are able to believe in themselves. They are the stories of the triumph of the human spirit. They are the stories that games should be about.

I appreciate the records being broken, and I will openly admit to keep an eye on the medal count. But at the end of the day it’s the stories I’m tuning in for.

Congratulations to all the athletes who participated in the London Games. No matter where you finished you are a champion.

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My Steelers Addiction

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Steeler Nation

Image by Gibtach via Flickr

Hello. My name is Lorie, and I’m addicted to Steelers football. It started when I was just a young child. You see I was born at the end of January. In western Pennsylvania. You now, Steeler Country. The Steelers won their first Super Bowl in 1975 when I was tiny (no, I’m not going to tell you how old I was!). Then it happened again the next year. My mother was torn in ’79 and ’80 whether to keep the party scheduled for the same day as the Super Bowl or change the date. We tried it both ways, though some of my favorite pictures from childhood have the Steelers on the TV in the background. I honestly thought as a child that the part of the excitement everyone had over the Super Bowl was because it was my birthday. The Steelers won all those trophy’s for me didn’t they?

Then came the lean year of the ’80’s and ’90s…we won’t talk about that. But it was kind of a rude awakening to find out that the Steelers didn’t get go win the Super Bowl EVERY year. Oh then there’s the birthday, and the Super Bowl, that we do not discuss. Not only did they lose, the lost on my birthday!

But, in the last few years my celebrations have been restored. We’re on a roll now baby! We’re on the hunt for number 7. Even though I left the nest and no longer live in western PA, I am constantly reminded that I am part of the Steeler Nation. No matter where I go, I see other proud citizens wearing hats and t-shirts. I’ve started a game when stuck in traffic to see how many Steeler bumper stickers, window decals and license plate holders I can spot. Being surrounded by other Steer fans just feeds my addiction.

It gets worse.  I’m raising two beautiful, adorable Steeler addicts. My daughters have had disagreements with kids at school because they wear Steelers shirts and jerseys instead of those for the local professional team. They beg to stay up and watch late games. I can’t wait until the day when all four of us make the trip to Heinze Field to watch a game together!

No matter what happens on Super Bowl Sunday, I am a proud to be a citizen of the Steeler Nation. This is an addiction I never intend to get treatment for.

HERE WE GO STEELERS – HERE WE GO!!!